Short answer
Consider how the physical form, sensory experience, and associated narratives of your product can be designed to align with or distance from existing market perceptions to foster legitimacy.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Journal of Consumer Research (2020)
- Method
- Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis
- Evidence
- Strong effect
The physical attributes and perceived meanings of products are critical for establishing legitimacy in politically contested markets. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in Journal of Consumer Research. Using Qualitative and quantitative analysis, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Consider how the physical form, sensory experience, and associated narratives of your product can be designed to align with or distance from existing market perceptions to foster legitimacy.
Materiality of Objects Drives Market Legitimacy in Contested Industries
The physical attributes and perceived meanings of products are critical for establishing legitimacy in politically contested markets.
Journal of Consumer Research · 2020
Key Findings
- 01Objects convey meaning by creating sensory or discursive alignment with legitimate market products.
- 02Objects convey meaning by creating sensory or discursive distancing from illegitimate market products.
- 03Different consumer segments perceive these alignments and misalignments differently, influencing the legitimation process.
Application
Design takeaway
Consider how the physical form, sensory experience, and associated narratives of your product can be designed to align with or distance from existing market perceptions to foster legitimacy.
How to apply
When introducing a new product in a sensitive or emerging market, analyze existing successful products and design your product's materiality and messaging to draw positive parallels or create clear, acceptable distinctions.
Project actions
- 01When researching a product, think about how its materials and appearance connect it to things people already know and trust.
- 02Consider how you can use design to make a new or controversial product seem more acceptable by linking it to positive examples.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Utilizes a multi-method approach combining quantitative data with qualitative insights.
- +Focuses on a relevant and contemporary example of market contestation.
Limitations
The specific cultural context of the U.S. cannabis market might limit the direct applicability of these findings to other industries or regions.
Reliability & validity
Reliability could be enhanced by using standardized interview protocols and multiple coders for qualitative data. Validity is supported by triangulating findings from diverse data sources (sales data, surveys, interviews).
Think critically
To what extent can 'legitimacy' be manufactured solely through product design, versus requiring broader societal or regulatory shifts?
Design Principles
"Strategic Materiality: Design objects to leverage sensory and discursive cues that align with established market legitimacy or distance from illegitimate associations."
Designers and product developers can strategically leverage the materiality of objects to bridge the gap between novel or controversial offerings and established market perceptions. By carefully aligning or distancing products from existing categories through sensory and discursive cues, designers can influence consumer acceptance and market legitimacy.
What This Means for Your Design
How a product looks, feels, and is talked about can make people accept it more, especially if it's something new or controversial.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify design decisions related to product form, material choice, and branding, explaining how these choices aim to build market legitimacy.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The strategic use of materiality in product design plays a significant role in establishing market legitimacy, particularly for novel or politically contested products. By carefully aligning sensory and discursive attributes with established, legitimate market offerings, and distancing from those associated with illegitimacy, designers can foster consumer acceptance and drive market penetration.
Source
Journal of Consumer Research
The Politicization of Objects: Meaning and Materiality in The U.S. Cannabis Market
journal · 2020
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about materiality of objects drives market legitimacy in contested industries?
- Consider how the physical form, sensory experience, and associated narratives of your product can be designed to align with or distance from existing market perceptions to foster legitimacy. Evidence: Journal of Consumer Research (2020).
- Why does "Materiality of Objects Drives Market Legitimacy in Contested Industries" matter for design?
- Designers and product developers can strategically leverage the materiality of objects to bridge the gap between novel or controversial offerings and established market perceptions. By carefully aligning or distancing products from existing categories through sensory and discursive cues, designers can influence consumer acceptance and market legitimacy.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Consider how the physical form, sensory experience, and associated narratives of your product can be designed to align with or distance from existing market perceptions to foster legitimacy.
- What were the main findings?
- Objects convey meaning by creating sensory or discursive alignment with legitimate market products.. Objects convey meaning by creating sensory or discursive distancing from illegitimate market products.. Different consumer segments perceive these alignments and misalignments differently, influencing the legitimation process.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from Journal of Consumer Research.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When introducing a new product in a sensitive or emerging market, analyze existing successful products and design your product's materiality and messaging to draw positive parallels or create clear, acceptable distinctions.
- What are the limitations?
- Findings may be specific to the cultural and political context of the U.S. cannabis market and may not directly translate to all contested industries.